How to Make Steps in a Garden Walk
Walking through a flowery garden is one of the most refreshing and peaceful activities. To add a more artistic touch to your garden you can make steps in your garden, this will not just give a lift to your garden but also gives it some life and character. Making steps in your garden involves a little bit of hard work and getting your hands dirty but the result is surely worth it. Making steps in a garden can be very easy task with a very artistic outcome. Steps on a slope or a path will accessorize your garden and increase its beauty all over.
Instructions
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1
Understand the mechanics:
A step usually consists of two parts, the riser and the tread. The tread is where you place your feet and the riser is the vertical distance between two consecutive treads. The number of steps depends on the slope you have. Gentler slopes usually have higher risers because the height is not much while for steep slopes you need lower risers. Measure the gradient of your area to decide the number of steps you are going to need.
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2
Materials you can use:
Different materials can be used to build steps in a garden path. Some people simply make dirt steps on the slopes with the shovel and leave it like that. Others who prefer doing concrete work use stones, wood, concrete. Pre- fabricated concrete blocks are commonly used to build steps. We are using big stone slabs in our step by step guide to give a rugged look to the steps.
Things you need:
- stone slabs around two feet wide (according to the number of steps)
- shovel
- gravel or sand
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3
Build a staircase:
Use the layout of your slope to your benefit. Calculate roughly how many steps you are going to need. The tread should ideally be at least two feet wide. The size of your step should roughly be the size of stone slabs that you have. Keep uniform step size all over. If your stone size is smaller than your tread size, you might have to insert several slabs in a single tread.
Start with the lowest step. Dig out some earth to make space for the first stone. Spread a thin layer of gravel or sand in it to hole the stone well. Place the stone in the space you made.
Move on to the next step. Excavate an area 8 inches above the first step and make space for another stone. Lay gravel and fix the stone in it. Keep doing the same until you get the desired height. Do keep the level and the angle correct. The rise level of 8 inches should also be constant. use the soil you dug out to cover the gaps between the stones and the spaces made for them. The stones should fit snugly.You can also use mortar or concrete to fill the gaps.
The new staircase is a welcome addition to your garden.
